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Guardiagrele: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Guardiagrele

The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.

For example: Via Roma 1, Guardiagrele.

Guardiagrele, the stone town below the Majella

Guardiagrele sits on a ridge at almost 600 metres, on the north-eastern side of the Majella massif, and from many streets the mountain looks very close. The historic centre is built of stone, with churches and palazzi that recall an important past: in the fifteenth century Nicola da Guardiagrele, one of the best-known goldsmiths of his day, worked here, and wrought iron and copper work are still alive. The municipality lies within the Majella National Park.

Chieti is about half an hour by car, Pescara and the coast a little further. There is no railway, so everything goes by road. Buyers choose between houses in the old centre, often large and in need of renovation, newer neighbourhoods on the edges and scattered country houses among olive groves and vineyards. Winters are cool, with some snow: the town is in climate zone D.

There were 8,273 residents in 2023, 11.7% fewer than the 9,367 of 2011, a steep fall, as in many towns of inland Abruzzo. The estimated average age is 48.7, above the province, and over-65s make up 29.8% against 26.4% provincially. Foreign residents account for 5.9%.

Earthquakes are the key issue. Guardiagrele is in seismic zone 1, the highest hazard class, one of 22 municipalities in the province of Chieti in that zone, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.168 g. Before buying a masonry house in the centre, get an engineer's assessment: tie rods, floors, roof and the connections between walls make all the difference.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) land registry is published and the report finds the plot from the address. On the ridge's flanks and along the gullies, the official landslide and flood maps give different answers from one spot to the next.

Key points

  • Stone town on a Majella ridge, home of Nicola da Guardiagrele.
  • Population down 11.7% since 2011; over-65s at 29.8%.
  • Seismic zone 1: get a structural assessment before buying.
  • Landslides on the ridge's flanks to be checked by address.

Overview

Guardiagrele is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 8,273 residents, among the most populous in the province (9 of 104).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Guardiagrele is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 22 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.168 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Guardiagrele, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 11.7%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Guardiagrele declared an average taxable income of 21,028 euros, in line with the province (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Guardiagrele is in climate zone D, with 1,928 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 576 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Guardiagrele has 11 schools and 4 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 7 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.8 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 5.8% of the land in Guardiagrele, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 3 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Guardiagrele, and one more has been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Guardiagrele: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.

House prices

The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.

Land registry

The cadastral maps for Guardiagrele are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.

Liveability area by area

The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 71 inhabited census areas in Guardiagrele. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 5.5%
  • fair 94.5%

Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.

The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out

Data sources

ISTAT code 069043. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.